Improvising over coltrane's "Impressions"

**mike walker** · 04-05-2009, 01:06 PM

Just a local jam with a few local guys. I made up a tune on impressions coz someone requested it, but i have never played the tune.

Mike

**skei** · 04-05-2009, 05:06 PM

That's very nice!
I love Impressions, and you do it good, I like it.
Peace
Skei (the like it a lot one)

**reventlov** · 04-06-2009, 05:28 AM

Great playing, a real blast, thanks for posting the link, it put a smile on my face. More please!

"We are blessed indeed, that music allowed us into it's welcoming world.
I love music with all my heart and soul."

Well said - same for me.

**Bertrand tB** · 04-06-2009, 02:20 PM

Okay Mike,

VERY IMPRESSIVE. Give us more of this stuff, think you've a really good sound!!!

**rio** · 04-08-2009, 12:57 AM

Sounds good man, enjoyed the listen. The one phrase you played right at the end...gonna have to learn that

**mmarch12990** · 10-12-2009, 08:13 PM

Hi all,

I am working on this piece for an audition I will be having in like 3 months so I have alot of time to shed over it.

With two chords, and it being a modal piece, what should I really focus on while improvising? I have been running triads with melodic extensions, some arpeggios, and a few 1-2-3-5 patterns and things like that. IT sounds pretty good right now but I want it to sound Amazing, I need to impress my professor so I can be the guitarist in my colleges jazz ensemble.

Should I work on playing modes and scales over it? I was never taught this way, I was always taught to run triads and their extensions along with embellishing the melody over the changes.

All ideas, comments and input are welcomed.

Have a good day guys!

**Innerurge1** · 10-12-2009, 08:22 PM

If i were you, I would also work on using modes. For D-7 you can use d dorian or any extension of it (C major, F Lydian, E Phrygian etc.) then for the Eb-7 use Eb dorian or any extension off of that (Db major, F# lydian F phrygian etc.) good luck with your audition!

**franco6719** · 10-13-2009, 05:14 AM

Don't forget bluesy material, pentatonic runs, sequences and things like that. Do the best you can.

**djangoles** · 10-13-2009, 08:08 AM

Personally, If I had 3 months I would find a few different versions and transcribe them. From those transcriptions I would develop my own variations of the lines. And obviously you could pick other modal tunes and work with them and still have it apply to Impressions in case it gets boring.

**franco6719** · 10-14-2009, 04:23 AM

I agree with Djangoles. And, of course, Impressions is just "So What" at a faster tempo.

**Frank Bechlarz** · 10-15-2009, 02:27 AM

Try to play, for an example, Am7 over Dm7, or Bbm7 over Ebm7. You get a Dm7/9/11 - or a Ebm7/9/11 Sound. Play in Bar 7 and 8 of every eight measure part, a IIm7b5/ V7b9 to the next minor Chord to get more tension. Play Inside-outside in the way Mike Stern does. Play repeating patterns like Grant Green or Pat Martino for more Tension. There are so many possibilities.
Greetings from Germany
F.Bechlarz

**cosmic gumbo** · 10-15-2009, 03:25 AM

What do you hear in your head? Try to sound like yourself.

**franco6719** · 10-15-2009, 05:58 AM

In my head, for example, I might hear "Yesterday, when I was Young" or something like that. This a sign of depression or something.

**oleo20** · 10-16-2009, 04:01 PM

listen to mccoy tyners album infinity featuring brecker...they play a stonking version of impressions - it is one of my all time favourite brecker solos!

**Jazzyteach65** · 10-17-2009, 01:26 PM

try this: start out by play through the tune at a slower tempo, as if it were "So What." This will give you a lot of space to develop ideas-start trying to develop motives-call-and-response, take a phrase, then using the same notes, change the rhythm, or take a phrase and a rhythm, then change the notes while keeping the same rhythm.

Also try singing phrases in your head. Start motivic developement with just a few notes. I actually work on modal improv to help my phrasing and lyricism

**franco6719** · 10-18-2009, 06:30 AM

Originally Posted by Jazzyteach65

try this: start out by play through the tune at a slower tempo, as if it were "So What." This will give you a lot of space to develop ideas-start trying to develop motives-call-and-response, take a phrase, then using the same notes, change the rhythm, or take a phrase and a rhythm, then change the notes while keeping the same rhythm.

Also try singing phrases in your head. Start motivic developement with just a few notes. I actually work on modal improv to help my phrasing and lyricism

Good point. Work on So What or something like that at a more moderate tempo and this will allow you to hear more and experiment with more ideas than if you are really flying along on Impressions at Coltrane speed. That is, unless you really ARE a Coltrane or Pat Martino.

**LushLife828** · 11-15-2009, 10:58 AM

Also, check out 'Ja-Hed' the opening track from African Exchange Student by Kenny Garrett. Some real tasty playing on So What changes there!

**Silence** · 12-12-2009, 11:13 PM

there is a video of wes montgomery playing this tune on youtube.com

I'm pretty sure he has several different recordings of the tune as well, I know of two at least, and they are great.

**nado64** · 12-14-2009, 08:04 AM

With the modal tune, it's interesting to increase the tension.

For example, you can begin the tune with three notes on the pentatonic scales in a "play/rest" phrasing,
and finish it with outside notes in a "call and response" phrasing.

**sc06yl** · 12-19-2009, 11:38 AM

I like 'turnarounds' during the last four bars of the sections. I put turnarounds in quotes, because they are not really turnarounds, but I dont know what else to call them. One of my favourites is, in the 16 bar A section is to play ii V's, decending in whole tones from Bmin7. so you get something like dmin7*12 bars Bm7 E7/Am7 D7/Gm7 C7/Fmin7 Bb7, lands nicely into the ebm part. Its also a cool trick to reharminaze blues. Except you start on the 4th of the tonic in that senario. Super imposing the changes at an up tempo sounds pretty hip, you get can get some pretty cool outsideish licks. At a medium tempo, i am not such a fan of this approach.

**lymber** · 12-11-2015, 05:00 PM

Hi there, guys!

First post on this site. I'm quite old in age but totally new for the jazz guitar improvasation (or jazz guitar, or any guitar playing at all). I would love to have this transcription from Pat Martino to get some inspiration.

I think that dur to the few chord changes one has to build longer phrasing, right? But nothing comes to my mind. The youtube video from Wes Montgomery (belguim, 1965) was inspiring. This quartal harmony is very tricky...

Hope to get that Martino's tab to have something to work on!

Thanks in advance,
Alexandre.